California city will be first in U.S. to require #solar on new housing

The Lancaster, Calif., City Council has approved a new ordinance requiring newly built residential units to provide solar power - a first in the U.S., according to the city. The measure was incorporated as part of a comprehensive review of the city's residential zoning laws and passed at a March 26 council meeting, according to the San Fernando Valley Business Journal . "Lancaster is already strongly committed to furthering green energy and reducing our carbon footprint," said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris in a statement introducing the measure . "In fact, we've been nationally and internationally recognized for our solar achievements. However, to truly establish ourselves as the 'Alternative Energy Capital of the World,' we must continue to take a progressive approach." Residential units built within Lancaster on or after Jan.1, 2014, must provide an average of 1 kW of so...